Our Story
AFA Productions (Aorere Film Academy) established in 2013, is a co-curricular club led by Aorere College past students/alumni and Muzaffar Ali, Teacher. The academy creates an opportunity for past and present students and young people in the South Auckland community to collaborate and produce Live Cinema Productions.
Each production comprises an original script curated by our student writers which showcases local stories and experiences allowing them to express themselves in this unique art form. We are very grateful for the opportunity to showcase student-created work in a professional, adult environment, and thus these shows represent a great opportunity to showcase Pasifika and Māori talents that may otherwise go unheard. We are particularly invested in highlighting and growing their perspectives as youth.
Our Mission
We want to tell original stories to engage the community and spread our experiences around the country. We strive to use our original story-telling and take live cinema to the next level. Each show must encompass the lives of our young people and community as we collaborate with different art forms.
Live Cinema
The academy’s dabbling into live cinema marked a new way of experiencing a film. The productions that the Academy has already brought to life are an achievement in their own right.
Our academy specialises in live cinema which is a multi art form that involves the collaboration of film, dance, theatre and live music; all woven together to create an immersive art form for the audience.
This is an original concept that is a new endeavour for students to take part in. A type of production where characters are stripped from the script and stand torn between the realms of stage and screen. With multimedia representations throughout, giving the show diversity and connection to the social media world, this new, rare experience is definitely one the audience needs to witness.
As this year-long project is co-curricular where students attend after school workshops to learn about each aspect of the filmmaking process, it has provided many authentic learning experiences collaborating with the dance, drama, digital technology, art and music departments of Aorere College. Our students have been challenged to meet very high expectations and work closely with mentors and leaders in the community to learn about filmmaking and also innovation in the arts.
Featured News Articles
South Auckland high school students take live cinema show across city - Stuff.co.nz (2018)
For the past four years, a performing arts group at a south Auckland high school have been bucking tradition.
Instead of the classic play or musical, Aorere College Film Academy students have been combining film, drama, and dance for a live stage show…
Budding filmmakers combine film, dance, and music for live cinema experience - Stuff.co.nz (2017)
Acting in a show is well outside Eddie Tamati's comfort zone.
The 14-year-old has always been a keen dancer, but never gave serious thought to being an actor. Yet, he's about to make his debut as the lead in his south Auckland school's multimedia production, Growing Up From Down…
What's On: Parting Stage resonates with youth - Stuff.co.nz (2016)
Teenagers embark on adventures as part of their coming of age. But those adventures escalate and begin to threaten their futures beyond school.
Parting Stage is a Live Cinema production by Aorere College that involves a collaboration of screenplay, live music, acting and dance performances…
Turning teen angst into a show-stopping performance - Te Waha Nui (2016)
A school production that had modest origins is set to strike the bright lights when it gets a central-city staging.
Called Parting Stage, the show, performed by Aorere College students, will open at the Herald Theatre tomorrow night…